Kilt outfit for prom: - necktie or bowtie?!

[Jurgenschmidt!]

Hi! new to this forum, I'm a scot living in fife currently. I'm purchasing a new kilt, just because I fancied it really, haha, and have my college prom coming up. Previously, at my high schools senior proms, I wore a bow tie with my wing collar shirt but now I'm considering getting a normal collar shirt and wearing a neck tie. This all started purely because I came across tartan neck ties, so I thought it would look nice and different if I got an ancient smith tartan neck tie (my new kilt will be ancient smith tartan(my first one was spirit of scotland tartan)). So obviously the tie will match the kilt and flashes etc. I just wondered if this was acceptible for a black tie formal event you know, when I'll be in my full formal wear jacket and waistcoat and brogues etc.? Or is it an unchangeable rule that for such an event I definitely should stick to the bow tie? So any advice on this would be incredibly helpful, don't want to look like an idiot, especially for my dates behalf haha!

Many thanks in advance for any suggestions and responses given, cheers!
John

[cable scot]

Hello John,
Well here's my 2p,black bow tie wing collar shirt.That's alot of matching and alot of tartan
for one outfit.It has been said that a good rule is to have only one matching tartan accessory on at a time ie. tie or flashes or vest and I think it's a good rule of thumb,and a fold down collar and strait tie would be a little under dressed for a room full of tux's and argyll jackets with bow ties.That said I would think that you know better the crowd your going to be in than I so dress in what you like.

Regards
Andy

[Grizzly]

Hi John and welcome from down south in Southampton. Have you got a date for the prom? if so I would match the tie with the colour of her dress. That would show that you care about her.

What type of jacket is it? Prince Charlie or Argyll ?

I would go with a bow tie with a PC and a normal tie with an Argyll. Either way if you are wearing a kilt I doubt if anyone will overly notice what you are wearing around your neck.

Most important is to go with what you feel most comfortable wearing. That way you will look and feel at ease.

Have a great time and dont forget to post pictures.

[MacMillan of Rathdown]

Go with the black bow tie and formal shirt, either with a wing collar or folded collar.

[cck]

This comment is from the U.S. where things may be different, but too much matching is not necessarily a good thing. In addition, a tartan tie would be a bit casual for formal attire. While I say that, I should admit that I have a matching bow tie and cumberbund set in my family tartan that I would wear to a "black tie" event with no qualms. I would not, however, wear this with a kilt.

I would stick with a black bow tie and formal shirt. The kilt in itself is a statement, so keep everything else as a correct compliment.

[Father Bill]

And by the way: Welcome to the Great Rabble!

[Zardoz]

Skip the wing collar if you want , but Black-Tie formal means black bow tie.

[Jurgenschmidt!]

Hey again! Thanks for the welcome guys haha, and thanks even more so for the advice. I think your right, now I picture it it could be too much tartan...and would look out of place at a black tie event! So I'll stick with my black bow tie for now and wing collar! I'll try get some pictures up once the proms past, cheers!

John

[Mither Tap]

hear hear,

Stick with the Bow tie.

There is nothing wrong with matching tartan (as long as its the same family tartan i.e. not different clans)

But the matching tartan tie and kilt is not a look I like (sometimes it looks ok with a waistcoat).

If the event is billed as "black tie" then you wont go wrong with a black bow tie and PC.

p.s. if wearing a waistcoat then ditch the dirk belt.

Chris S